We Visited the STATE FAIR OF TEXAS this year!

One periodical labelled this event as “Faux FAIR Fun—Fill the gap this year with State Fair food and online activities.”

An advertisement tempted with, “This $99 drivethrough package includes 4 drinks, 4 Fletcher’s corny dogs, 2 orders of fries, 2 bags of cotton candy, two bags of kettle corn, 2 orders of fried Oreos, and 2 Midway prizes—plus, a photo with Big Tex.” (I found out later that this price allowed up to 8 persons in a vehicle [no limos, busses, or trailers] and that they could decide how to divide the food.) (I also learned that we would receive a TOY to finish out the “carnival” effect of the Midway!)

A second advertisement made sure to specify that “when visitors interact with anyone on State Fair grounds, they will be asked to wear masks, even while in their cars.

Another ad in smaller print also offered that “addons, such as turkey legs and corn-on-the-cob, are available for additional charges!” Also printed was the information that another package was $65 but that it limited the persons in the vehicle to two—and the food package was one-half of the above list!

Our day arrived, as set up by my wife, Vivian, and it included the two of us and Donna and Jimmy Lawler (my sister-in-law and her husband). All four of us seemed to have varying expectations and parts that we thought we would greatly enjoy and some that did not seem quite so great as we pulled into the “LINE.”

We had read “horror stories” about the “Texas Rattlesnake” (which was what some “first day visitors” had nicknamed the parking lot and its interminable wait time, stretching to five or six hours and causing some patrons to run out of gas while in line!) And a spokeswoman acknowledged that wait times were up to three times longer than advertised! So, we were a little filled with trepidation as we made our way to the beginning point!

The event, by the end, was able to accommodate 2700 cars per day, according to one spokesperson. That is amazing!

The entire driving path is somewhat more than 4 miles in length—a little less than 3 miles for the “rattlesnake” portion and a little over one mile and a half for the “inside the Fairgrounds” experiences. And I hear that 3 couples have “gotten engaged” at or near the Big Tex Circle area during one month of the feature.

Because we are “doubters,” our foursome took along some extra water and snacks, just in case the “fixing of the lines” had not taken place as promised! And we were prepared for some “not so smooth sailing” at the food exchange/handoff spots. Also, we tried to figure out what exactly we wanted as far as drinks and extras before we entered the first gates.

Another thing we kept in mind was that the State Fair of Texas is a NON-PROFIT that donated to 75 organizations last year and provided scholarships to numerous needy children!

The closing of the FAIR is/was also a devastation to so many vendors of all types, who depend upon the revenue from this fall event to be a large part of their incomes. According to a Fair Official, 60% of funds from the first two weeks of the “drive-through” went back to Concessionaires! And a nice donation went to the - North Texas Food Bank, which the FAIR usually supports with its canned goods drive.

Last, but not least, we started the trip with a full tank of gas, and all had restroom breaks before we left Forney!

THE EXPERIENCE—We left our house after calling ahead and finding out that everything was moving smoothly and that the wait to enter the grounds should be 45 minutes at most. Our next stop was to pick up Donna and Jimmy Lawler and then head to Fair Park, with the women in front and the men in back.

The trip was smooth, and it was not too hard to find and enter Gate 11, where the directions were clear and the attendants were friendly and knowledgeable. We submitted our food order, had our tickets verified, and moved ahead.

The food pick-up was quick, and we were ready to “mustard up” our Fletcher’s Dogs with the extra mustard we had brought from home, because we rightly figured that the packets supplied were for “average” consumers, not for “mustard lovers.” Ah, Ah, Ah, Yummy, the corny dogs were steaming hot, and we all said it was a good thing they only gave us one each, or we would have eaten until we bulged!

The French fries were wiggly and a little (lot) greasy, sort of like the “old time” Keller’s Drive-In version, but they, too, were hot.

But the Deep Fried Oreos—Oh, my! Even “hard to please Don” agreed that they were “WINNERS.”

Cotton candy was fine, and kettle corn was some of the best I had ever eaten!

The sodas were in 20 ounce bottles and cold, but we should have brought cups of ice to pour them over, since we wanted them to be good for all the food!

We viewed the sights, the “nostalgic memories” signs, some exhibits and favorite buildings, Chevys, and the “Aquarium that will be no more.” That was sad!

They took our photos at BIG TEX and helped us pose if we blinked or wiggled. We also were allowed to stand around there and do our own “photo ops.”

And we stopped to look at the Midway sign and peer a little sadly at the area where there should have been screaming children and “still young adults.”

We picked up our CHEVY give-away T-shirts and moved towards the end of the journey, where we spoke a little with some nice attendants, and one promised to see me next year and to sit and talk over a drink if the VIRUS would allow.

Everyone and Everything was so nice and well worth the price and time—not as good as the “REAL THING,” but fun anyway.

Howdy and Good-bye Folks: You were, and will be again, welcome at the STATE FAIR OF TEXAS!